I think we really don't know who is in power and who's making the decisions. I will have to be honest: the J&M thing doesn't bother me. Often, I think Drake does better with other actors, but that's just me. (Yes, I know. Heresy!!!) The Jack thing bothered the hell out of me, though.But, I do think this storyline could include Doc in on his plan. A little, I think, has to do with people who really don't understand the personalities. Probably a lot has to do with too many cooks spoiling the broth, with too many head honchos in too many various places in power wanting their ways. Soaps don't have the pull for TV they once did. And, based on what I read on boards with other shows, even prime-time, character changes and writing them weirdly and out of personality isn't unique to this show. And, of course, the filming so far ahead of time where there isn't time to make quit changes on something that doesn't work doesn't help. In all honesty, I think the powers that be might consider Days fans a lot like the Queen of Hearts in Alice in Wonderland. I haven't been on boards very long, but it seems to me every year or two, there is always an "Off with his head!" or "Off with her head" campaign. After a while, I think they'd just shrug those off.

You see I wouldn't be worried about the writing for John and Marlena if some of the same patterns that occurred in late 2008/2009 where showing up again.....they are being marginalized, written OOC. To top it all off, this all started to happen a few months after TomSell were back at DOOL in the writing capacity this time. It has long been rumored (and now I believe it was absolutely truth btw) that Tomlin was in fact writing for a good part of the time that Dena was suppose to be pushing out her outlines. It's evident now that maybe the problem was that Tomlin just had his finger in the co-ep pot and in the writing room too. To top it all off he's treating Lucas the same exact fucking way he did in 2009 and it's not like this time around he can't include him in a story, shit HE'S GOING TO BE A GRANDPA, but remember what occurred the last time in the Dan/Chloe/Lucas triangle? Tomlin/Dena (whomever was writing) took him out of his own fucking triangle and transplanted him with Kate...soon after Lucas was written off.....let's face it...it's too much of a coincidence that the ONLY THREE FUCKING VETS That remained after the purge when TomSell got hired are being treated the SAME EXACT WAY THEY WERE BEFORE. Let's face it....he doesn't like writing for them, and unless he goes, NOTHING WILL CHANGE.

The minute I heard that TomSell had replaced MarDar I knew that Lucas' days were numbered, I hoped for the best, but knew it was impossible. That man is toxic to this show. Think about it this way...he's supposedly been 'forced' to write for Ejami, explains the air time and kind of story he has given them....we all know if this was Safe he was forced to write for (like what happened in late 2009) then he'd be giving them tons of airtime and showcasing their love story. He has ways of getting around what he doesn't like.....and low and behold if he was forced not to go with Safe, then Rafe could not be without a believable love interest for too long....enter Chrishell's character..

You could be right. Then again, I don't have a horse in this race. :shrug: